Their Journey
by Chelsae33
Summary: Bellatrix Lestrange is torturing Hermione at Malfoy Manor. Draco can't handle it. DH SPOILERS! DMHG Updating within the week! Jan. 7, 2008
1. An Irrational Move

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series. I do not own Draco Malfoy- I only wish that I did.

Summary: Bellatrix Lestrange is torturing Hermione at Malfoy Manor for information. Draco can't handle it.

Rating: Mature for swearing, future sexual content, and battle scenes.

A/N: _**DEATHLY HALLOWS **_**SPOILERS!** If you have not read the seventh book, you probably do not want to read this fic!! You have been warned!!! The idea for this story popped into my head while reading Chapter 23- Malfoy Manor. This fic follows _Deathly Hallows_ up until the middle of Chapter 23. Well, read, enjoy, and review!

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Chapter 1: _An Irrational Move_

I didn't plan on doing it. Really- I didn't.

One minute I was standing there- frozen to the spot watching in horror- and then the next I was flying across the room, yelling curses and flinging my hand into hers...

I should not have done it. It was stupid, irrational, and completely life-altering. Goes against everything I've grown up to believe.

But, none of it matters.

Because I love her.

Yes- you heard me correctly. I don't remember stuttering.

I _love_ her.

Of course, until that fateful day, I had never acted on it. Actually, I did everything in my power to make it seem that I hated her. Constantly, I mocked her, calling her 'mudblood', and made trouble with her half-wit friends. Everyone- especially her- believed that I couldn't bare the sight of her. That being in her 'filthy' presence was something difficult for me.

Well, atleast that part was true. I mean about it being difficult to be in her presence. And difficult, is hardly the word I would use to describe it. Not being able to look lovingly into those gorgeous brown eyes, touch her smooth skin, taste her rosy lips, talk to her amazing mind for hours about any and everything...

It was damn torture! That's what being around her was!

I really am proud of the self control I have- or had up until that day in the drawing room anyway.

As much as I wanted to drag her away from the Gryffindor table and confess my love-not to mention need, if you get what I'm saying- I didn't, but only for the sake of my family.

The mighty Malfoy's, and their precious pureblood status that had lasted for centuries, would not be ruined because of me.

Plus, I really was looking forward to the great amount of money that comes hand in hand with the Malfoy name.

I convinced myself that she was destined to marry the Weasel, squeeze out 10 kids, and live a happy- although pitifully poor- life.

I knew that I had no other choice, but to follow in my father's footsteps. Become a death eater, marry a 'respectable' pureblood witch, and produce an heir.

No- we could never have made it work.

But that was then.

Now that everything I expected to happen has turned out... differently per se, I believe I may have a chance.

A chance to live the forbidden life I have longed for.

Not a very good one, considering she hates me- which I admit is my fault and fully understand why she can't even stand to look at me- but a chance none the less.

You see, my life was altered drastically, on one boring, normal afternoon.

Well, as normal as it gets with my psychotic Aunt Bellatrix wandering around, and my father being wandless. But I considered it fairly ordinary.

I was back at the manor from Hogwarts on Easter holiday. Father, Mother, and I had been sitting in the drawing room discussing our options.

"_The Dark Lord is not happy with us, Draco," my father, Lucius Malfoy, said._

_I turned my gaze from the grand fire to his piercing gray eyes that were so much like my very own. "Yes, Father, I know," I replied._

_My mother, Narcissa, began speaking. "Drake, we believe that-" she paused for a moment, trying to collect herself and appear unemotional (the Malfoy way), "-that he may kill us."_

_The Dark Lord was much, much more than unhappy with my family. My father had failed him, and then I had a year later. He knew that Snape was the one that killed Dumbledore, not me, and since it had been my mission, he viewed it as a failure._

_The Malfoy Manor had basically been taken over by the Dark Lord. Bloody snake of his- Nagini I think it's called- had become very comfortable in **my** bed._

_He then took Father's wand. And got it **blown up**- by Potter no less._

_I was beginning to hate him. After so many years of it being pound into my head that I must follow the Dark Lord and all of his ways, I had begun to doubt him._

_I could not understand why being a 'pureblood' was so fucking important. My blood runs red. Potter's blood runs red. 'Mudblood' runs red- just the same as mine._

_Really- it's not muddy at all!_

_The part that really made me decide that the Dark Lord was truly a maniac- was when I realized the fact that he is a half-blood._

_His mother a witch, his father a muggle._

_In all reality the Dark Lord should kill half of himself... I know that makes absolutely no sense, but you get what I'm trying to say._

_The Dark Lord is a hypocrite._

_I shook myself out my dangerous thoughts and nodded. "Is there anything we can do?" I asked, hoping that my parents had some idea on how to get us out of this sticky situation._

"_Well, turning Potter over to the Dark Lord would work," Father said smirking slightly. This was his twisted way at joking._

_He opened his mouth to continue, but was cut off by the clanging of the front gates to our estate._

_My mother- somewhat curious and apprehensive- drew her wand from her dark green robe and hurried out of the drawing room toward the entrance of the manor._

_Lucius and I remained lounging in the black leather armchairs. _

_Several moments later, I heard Mother's cold voice. "My son, Draco, is home for his Easter holidays. If that is Harry Potter, he will know."_

_I sat up rigid, remembering my father's joke, and gulped._

_Narcissa reappeared followed by what was one of the oddest sights I had seen in a while. _

_A boy, who looked to have been stung in the face by something, a Gryffindor...-Dean Thomas, a goblin, another boy who had an uncanny resemblance to Weasel, and... Granger, were tied together back to back. Greyback the Werewolf, and four other men were pointing wands at the group and roughly dragging them into the room._

_My father rose, confused, but very interested by what my mother had just said. I, on the other hand staid glued to my chair._

"_What is this?" Father drawled._

"_They say they've got Potter," my mother replied. "Draco, come here."_

_I hung my head, then reluctantly stood, and made my way across the room. I wanted nothing more than to apparate far, far away._

"_Well boy?" the werewolf demanded._

_I glanced at the stung boy out of the corner of my eye, but made no eye contact with him. Even so- I could tell that the deformed boy was most definitely Harry Potter. The scar was stretched across his wide forehead, his round glasses perched on the chubby nose, and he held himself in that... heroic way that I hated oh-so much._

"_Well Draco?" came my father's avid voice. "Is it? Is it Harry Potter?"_

Shit_, was about the only thing I could think. If I confirmed that, indeed, it was Potter, Father would summon Voldemort. Most likely, I would be forced to watch Potter, Weasley, and Granger be slaughtered. The Malfoy's would be rewarded and back in the good graces of the Dark Lord._

_If I said no, then my family would be in the same damn situation as minutes previous- and we would be the ones to die._

_Deciding this was too big of a decision for me to make, I pulled a standard Draco move._

"_I can't- I can't be sure," I said. I didn't say yes, but I didn't say no either. They would just have to determine if it was Potter without my help. This way, I would feel no guilt. Right?_

_My father frowned slightly- I was not being let off the hook that easy. "But look at him carefully, look! Come closer!" I could practically see and hear the wheels turning in his mind._

"_Draco, if we are the ones who hand Potter over to the Dark Lord, everything will be forgiv-" Father started excitedly, but was cut off by the werewolf._

"_Now we won't me forgetting who actually caught him, I hope, Mr. Malfoy?" he stated menacingly._

_Father only snapped impatiently, "Of course not, of course not." Lucius could deal with Greyback. Voldemort, was another story._

_Lucius then stepped very close to Potter's disfigured face. "What did you do to him? How did he get into this state," he asked._

"_That wasn't us."_

"_Looks more like a Stunning Jinx to me," Father said, examining Potter. His eyes settled on his forehead._

_Internally, I groaned._

"_There's something here," he whispered. "It could be the scar, stretched tight... Draco, come here, look properly! What do you think?"_

I think,_ I thought as I drug my unwilling feet towards Potter,_ that I don't bloody care and would like to be excused! Please! Please, just let me out of here!

_But, of course, I didn't say that. "I don't know," I mumbled instead, and then stalked back to stare at the fireplace, next to Mother._

"_We had better be certain, Lucius," she called. "Completely sure that it is Potter, before we summon the Dark Lord... they say this is his-" _

_I glanced to her, to see what she was referring to. She held a wand in her hand, but it didn't look like Potter's._

"_-but it does not resemble Ollivander's description. If we are mistaken, if we call the Dark Lord for nothing...Remember what he did to Rowle and Dolohov?"_

_Mother visibly shuddered._

Perhaps we not call the bloody Dark Lord then. Forget this ever happened, obliviate the stupid werewolf and his friends then tell Potter to get the fuck out of here,_ I thought._

"_What about the Mudblood, then," growled Greyback._

_I jerked my head away from the dancing flames and looked at Granger. _Just kill me now!!!

"_Wait," my mother said inspecting Granger's face. "Yes-yes she was in Madam Malkin's with Potter! I saw her picture in the 'Prophet'! Look, Draco, isn't it the Granger girl?"_

_I didn't want to speak. I wanted to spell-o tape my mouth shut actually, but I didn't have much of a choice._

_I knew Granger's face very, very well._

"_I...maybe...yeah," I said, hopefully in a very unhelpful matter._

"_But then," Father said putting two and two together, "That's the Weasley boy! It's them, Potter's friends-Draco, look at them, isn't it Arthur Weasley's son, what's his name-"_

_I did not turn from the fire. "Yeah. It could be."_

_Things were already going down hill, but then, the drawing room swung open. _

"_What is this? What's happened Cissy?" cried my Aunt Bellatrix._

_Things had just gone from bad- to utterly horrible. The only person that could have walked through the door that would have been worse than Aunt Bella, was Voldemort himself_

"_But surely this is the Mudblood girl? This is Granger?" she said quietly._

Stay the fuck away from her.

"_Yes, yes it's Granger!" Father cried. "And beside her, we think, Potter! Potter and his friends, caught at last!"_

_My lovely aunt, then started shrieking. "Potter? Are you sure? Well then, the Dark Lord must be informed at once!"_

_I turned slightly and watched, terrified and planted to the ground, as she drug her left sleeve up, revealing the Dark Mark._

_Luckily, I did not have one. But, that did not matter right now._

_My father, the greedy desperate man that he is, snatched her right wrist in his hand, preventing her from calling the Dark Lord._

"_I was about to call him! **I** shall summon him, Bella, Potter has been brought to my house, and it is therefore upon my authority-"_

"_Your authority!" Aunt Bella sneered. It was not a sneer that came close to rivaling mine or my Father's, but it was still very belittling. "You lost your authority when you lost your wand, Lucius._

Ouch. What a blow to a man's ego!

"_How dare you! Take your hands off me!" she said trying to escape my father's stone grip._

"_This is nothing to do with you, you did not capture the boy-"_

"_Begging your pardon, **Mr.** Malfoy" Greyback interjected, "but it's us that caught Potter, and it's us that'll be claiming the gold-"_

_I nearly laughed. The... thing, actually thought that Lucius and Bellatrix' argument had been over **gold**? Like the Malfoy's needed more? Ha!_

_Bellatrix, did laugh. "Gold! Take your gold, filthy scavenger. What do I want with gold? I seek only the honor of his-of-"_

_Her gaze was on something across the room. I followed it... she seemed to be staring wide-eyed at a sword._

_Father had lifted his left sleeve, about to touch his Mark._

"_STOP!" Bella screamed. "Do not touch it, we shall all perish if the Dark Lord comes now!"_

Hmm... as much as I'd love to stay for the sudden show, apparating was seriously beginning to sound like the sane- and safe- option.

_My father froze- his long fingers inches from the Mark._

"_What is that?" Aunt Bella asked. There was fear in her normally cruel voice._

"_Sword," someone said._

Well obviously.

"_Give it to me," she demanded._

_The bloke was actually stupid enough to say, "It's not yorn, Missus, it's mine, I reckon I found it."_

_The drawing room flashed red as dear, old, Aunty Bellatrix stunned the fool._

"_What do you think you're playing at, woman?" said another angry voice._

"_Stupefy! Stupefy!" she cried._

_I was very surprised she had not killed them. I mean- this was Aunt Bella._

"_Where did you get this sword?" she whispered to Greyback. She pulled his wand from his unmoving hand. _

"_How dare you?" he snarled at her. "Release me, woman!"_

"_Where did you get this sword?" she repeated, her voice low and deadly. She waved the sword in his face. _

_If some mad woman like Bellatrix Lestrange was waving a sharp blade in my precious face, I would be fairly willing to give her the answers she wanted._

_But no, Grayback- the idiot, halfbreed that he is- merely sat there._

"_Snape sent it to my vault in Gringrotts!" Bella said after his silence. I could tell she was growing angry. Well- angrier than normal. She was naturally a pissed off lunatic._

"_It was in their tent." Greyback finally rasped. "Release me, I say!"_

_I quickly turned back to the fireplace-away from the horrid scene I was so sure would happen next. But, my fucking aunt had other plans for me._

"_Draco, move this scum outside," she said. "If you haven't got the guts to finish them, then leave them in the courtyard for me._

_God, she was a bitch._

"_Don't you dare speak to Draco like-" Mother started furiously, but Bella cut her off._

"_Be quiet..." _Blah, blah, blah._ I had quit listening. She was a mad woman and I was more than willing to get the hell away from her._

_I trekked across the room to the unconcious men- pausing in front of Bellatrix, and contorting my handsome face into the dirtiest Malfoy sneer I could- flicked my wand and fled the room._

_I made sure I slammed the door behind me- not that it did much good, but I was enraged. My aunt had come into **my** house, insulted **my**_ _father, and started ordering **me** around. It was bloody bullshit._

_Feeling spiteful, I deposited the men in a hedge at the very edge of the courtyard, as far away from the Manor as possible. The bitch deserved to look a little, before she took their lives._

_My mind wondered back to the situation in my home. _They had her. They had Gran- Hermione. Would Bella kill her? Would one of my lovely parents? What if Grayback-

_The thought of what a werewolf would do with a young, 'sweet' girl, was making me slightly woozy. _

_Spotting a place to sit, I sunk down onto a stone bench. I had the nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach that things weren't going well for Hermione._

_I let my head fall into my hands, and took several deep breaths. _

_I convinced myself that there was nothing I could do. Whatever happened to Granger and her fucking friends was not up to me. Their fate was not up to me to decide. I had been born into a family that believed differently than they did, and I had to accept it. _

_Slowly I rose, and wound back through the courtyard. I trudged up the steps to the mighty double doors, grasped the doorknob emblazoned with a 'M', and twisted. _

_That's when I heard the screams. _

_Bloodcurdling shrieks of pain that sent unpleasant shivers down the entire length of my body._

_I sprinted through the foyer to the drawing room, and threw the door open._

"_What else did you take, what else? ANSWER ME! CRUCIO!" Bellatrix screamed in fury._

_My legs suddenly quit working, and I stood rooted to the spot, watching in terror as Hermione writhed on the floor in pure agony._

_I wanted to do something- anything-, to make it all disappear, but it was as if I had been stupified. Her torture wasn't supposed to affect me. I wasn't supposed to feel the pain and guilt that was tearing my heart apart. _(Yes, I **do** have a heart, despite popular belief.)

_And then, she looked at me. Those large, brown doe eyes bore pleadingly into mine. And just like that, I was gone. All thoughts from the courtyard entirely abandoned._

_I didn't think about what I was doing. I didn't think about the consequences. For once, I let my body take complete control. _

_Once again, I was running. My hand pulled my wand from my robes, and I screamed, "Expelliarmus!" _

_Aunt Bella's wand flew from her murderous hand and I snatched it from midair. Her shocked face was priceless. In the background, I could hear my parents' equally shocked voices, but my focus was to get to a certain hand._

_Knowing I didn't have much time, I leaped and landed by Hermione's side. _

_Her adorable, bushy, brown hair was even more wild then normal; sticking out from her head in every which direction. Her naturally olive coloring had drained from her face giving her an almost Malfoy complexion. _

_She looked weak, and exhausted. Broken._

_A shot of red light brought me back to reality. _

_My own mother- the only person in the room that actually had a wand- had tried to stun me. _

_Not able to hide the smirk from my features, I took hold of Hermione's frail hand, and apparated to the only place I could think of that would be relatively safe._

So now, my so called 'ordinary' life is ruined. Everything I've ever known is gone, because of one moment of weakness.

Hell, I've probably been disowned- knowing my father.

It was the right choice though.

But... what happens now?

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A/N: Well? REVIEW!!! Pretty PLEASE! 


	2. Chåteau de Noir

Disclaimer: Let's just say that if I owned Harry Potter, Draco would see 'the light', fight for the Order, get the girl (Hermione), and have unnaturally beautiful children.

**Special thanks to:_ Jay Desi, evillizzy89, Hanna28, Elizabeth Odessky, Dimmie, hsmprincess, Kat Eyes 17, ..Punk., jdeppgirl4, Blue-Stardust, Maria, sarahyyy, BlakValentyne-U69, mahalo4ursupport, ThEnAmEsGiGi, _and _Hotkat144, _and anyone else that reviewed that I may have missed.

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Chapter 2: _Chåteau de Noir_

Breathing heavily and slinging Hermione Granger's limp body over my back, I stumbled up the dirt lane of _Château de Noir_. Apparation wards are such a pain at times.

Cygnus and Druella Black, my mother's parents, had left me the grand house in the south of France. I had never seen a use for it- until now.

I'd only ever been to the château once, right after I had been given the key. I shuddered, remembering the day I'd received the key.

_It had been Christmas vacation of my second year, and my Grandmother Black was on her death bed._

_I didn't particularly care. I saw her about once a year, and she wasn't exactly the nurturing, grandmotherly type. What do you expect though, when your name is Druella? _

_Mother insisted though that I visit her one last, terrifying time._

_Okay, I admit... she agreed to buy me the racing broom I wanted, but that is completely irrelevant. _

_That's how I ended up spending my Christmas Eve. In a stuffy St. Mungo's room with that old bint. I knew the only reason Mother had come was to ensure she'd be getting more inheritance than Bellatrix._

_We're such a loving, close-knit family._

_"Draco," 'Grandma' rasped as I slouched, bored out of my mind, in my chair. "Sit up straight! Slouching is for Mudbloods."_

_The woman was dying, and still she babbled on about blood. I rolled my silver eyes, but obeyed._

_She was eyeing me, as if I was an object being inspected. "Do you know what you're doing with your life, Draco?"_

_I stirred uncomfortably in my seat. Did she not realize that I was 12? "Well," I said looking anxiously at my mother. She narrowed her blue eyes, glaring at me in a don't-mess-this-up-for-me way. "I... I plan on following in Father's footsteps," I gulped._

_Druella's sneering face evened out, satisfied at my answer. "You plan on serving the Dark Lord then?"_

_"Of course... As soon as I am of age," I replied. That would be the end of my life. _

_"Very good." She turned to Mother. "You and Lucius have taught him well, Narcissa."_

_My mother's face remained impassive, but I knew I had pleased her. She would get her precious money._

_Druella snapped her fingers, and a house elf quickly appeared with a 'pop'. "Mistress Black," the creature squeaked, bowing until his nose touched the floor._

_"Take Narcissa back to the Manor. See to it she receives what we discussed the other day," Druella drawled. _

_"Of course Mistress Black. Kimar would be delighted to take Mistress Malfoy," the elf said. _

_Mother looked slightly offended that she was being escorted by a house elf, but greed won out. She stood from her chair, dusted her robes off in an arrogant matter and replied, "Goodbye Mother." There was no sorrow in her voice, not even a hint. "Draco," she said turning to me, "I'll send an elf for you."_

_I frowned, but shrugged my distaste off. I would not be like my mother._

_Mother then looked to the elf who had his wrinkled hand held out. She tilted her head up a fraction of an inch- literally sticking her nose up at him. "I'll be in the foyer," she spat at him rudely, then dis-apparated away._

_The elf gave a sad sigh, bowed to Druella, then 'popped' away too._

_Druella grinned- which was actually a smirk- at me. " I have a gift for you too, Draco." _

_I cocked an eyebrow, slightly interested. _

_She didn't do anything for a couple minutes, only staring at me in that creepy way of hers. "Well," she prompted, "Don't you have __**any **__manners?"_

_Embarrassed, I sat up straighter. "A gift is not necessary, Grandmather Black," I said in the 'pureblood' voice I'd been taught._

_She nodded, then said, "Of course it's necessary." Druella reached to her bedside table, lifting a fancy, wood box off the surface._

_She handed it to me. I did not open it. Proper etiquette and all. Shite, if you ask me._

_"You are lucky, Draco. You were born into a world of perfection. Do not taint everything your ancestors have worked so hard to maintain," she stated coldly, her crystal eyes locking on mine. It was like... she knew._

_I fidgeted nervously, looking away from her and towards the door. How could I escape?_

_"Some things, some people... are not worth it, no matter what you may think at the time. Now go," she said rather impolitely. "I'm quite tired."_

_I didn't need to be told twice. _

Now, looking at it after so many years, I realized it truly was a gorgeous place. Unlike Malfoy Manor which was cold and uninviting, the château was spectacular. It seemed to seep out a welcoming feeling, drawing you in to its beauty and majesty, whereas the manor you ran screaming from its icy aura.

Despite having been empty for years, my chåteau appeared perfectly kept. Stunning, brightly coloured flowers and large, flowing fountains surrounded the grounds. I knew that the inside would be just as immaculate.

Even as a twelve year old I'd had the good sense to keep Druella's gift a secret. I'd placed special charms on the chåteau to ensure its upkeep. I always have rivaled Granger in school, which people tend to forget.

At last, I reached the heavy wooden front door. I panicked slightly for a minute, _Did I have the key?_

A little on the frantic side, I fumbled through the pockets of my robes searching for the sacred pouch. Finally, my fingers connected with the small yet bottomless, silk bag that held more money than the Weasley's would ever see in a lifetime, several keys, and some other objects I deemed useful.

Thank Merlin. I unlocked the door, slammed it closed behind me, and laid Hermione down on the elegant, wood floor.

She seemed to be in a dazed confusion. Her eyes were half way shut, her forehead clammy, and her entire body seemed to be trembling slightly. Her thoughts had to be scrambled- I mean Draco Malfoy, one of the sexiest men alive, had just rescued her. Bring on the thank you sex.

"Granger," I said quietly, kneeling to her side. "How are you feeling?" It was a stupid question. I knew from personal experience what being tortured was like.

The after effects of torture were, in my opinion, just as bad as the actual torture. Not only did every muscle in your entire body scream in pain, but you could barely move or think from exhaustion. It felt as if life had been seared out of you, and what little was left could only register the constant tormenting pain.

She didn't answer, just looked up at me as if I was slightly looney myself. I was most definitely _not_ getting thank you sex.

I simply stared down at her, completely lost. _What had I done? What the hell was I going to do?_

I could imagine what my family was doing, many miles away in England. Undoubtedly, they were bad. Merlin forbid they found me... _Impossible, _I reassured myself. _Only I knew where this place was._

_But what if--_

Startling me from my terrifying thoughts, one, ice cold hand suddenly clutched my own. I stared dubiously down at it. Hermione Granger was holding my hand. _This is... different. _

Slowly, she weakly pulled me down to lay on the wood floor beside her.

My heart—damn thing that had gotten me into this mess—raced at the sudden proximity.

"Cold," she mumbled, tugging at my robes, bringing me even closer. "I'm so... cold."

I took several breaths, calming myself. Her face was only inches from mine, and I could see deep into her chocolate eyes. They were filled with so much pain and uncertainty.

I'd never been so close to her. It was unnerving, even if she was in a delirious state.

I couldn't resist letting my arms lightly wrap around her. When else would I have the opportunity?

Gradually, her eyes closed, exhaustion taking over. I breathed in, smelling her wonderful scent.

I knew what I should have done.

I should have disentangled myself from her broken body and formed a plan. I should have considered everything that we—because that's what we were now _we, _me and Granger—would need.

I should have atleast found us a _bed_ to lay in.

But I didn't.

Instead, I, Draco Malfoy, slept with Hermione _"Mudblood" _Granger. On the wooden floor. In a chåteau in France.

Bloody hell.

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A/N: Hope you all enjoyed the flashbacks. I have always thought that Draco must have a very interesting past so I'll be continuing to delve back into it. He's such an intriguing character.

Let me know what you think, I really appreciate it.

Also... I need your opinions! Should I continue writing in Draco's point of view, or switch it up a bit?

~Chelsae


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